A popular bike commuter destination is the National Institutes of Health (NIH), located in Bethesda, MD. The map below shows a few suggested routes between central Montgomery County's residential areas and the NIH campus. These routes all make use of Rockville's nice Bicycle Route network.
Overview of NIH Bike Routes. |
Experienced cyclists prefer to use the Seven Locks Route (mark red on the map). This easy-to-follow route is actually quite nice. It mostly uses the shoulders of Seven Locks Road and Bradley Blvd. The reason I recommend it for only experienced cyclists is that it is a bit on the hilly side, and there are some traffic issues as you near the campus on Greetree Rd.
The other two routes are for folks who are less comfortable riding with heavy commuter traffic. The Trolley Trail route makes use of the new Bethesda Trolley Trail, and several neighborhood streets. In most cases, a sidewalk is available in a pinch (but generally not recommended). The Trolley Trail route also offers the choice of using either the Wootton Pkwy side trail, or Rockville's downtown bike route network.
The third option, the Rock Creek Route, make use of the pleasant Rock Creek Trail. The first half of this route follows the wooded trail along Beach Drive. Although the trail continues for about 4 mile north of Veirs Mill Rd, there are not many good bicycle exit options along this north section. Therefore, the route leave the trail at Veirs Mill Rd, and briefly follows the shoulder until joining Rockville's neighborhood bicycle route network. This will take you right through downtown Rockville, passing the Metro Station.
For folks with extra gung-ho, these routes can be also be used to hook up with the Capital Crescent Trail, which will take you all the way to downtown DC.